Merry-go-round



Sept 28 1926.

v D. c. WATSON MERRY-GO-ROUND 5 Sheets-Sh'et' 1 -Filed Nov. 1, 1924 Z dis/diam.

Filed Nov. 1. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [lCk afswz.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Sept. 28,1926. 1,601,661

' D. C. WATSON MERRY-GO-ROUND Filed Nov. 1, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 4 b a/Fr [7. C Maia 022.

ATTORNEY WITNESS 4 se it. 28,1926.

D. C. WATSON MERRY-GO-ROUND F'ile d Nov. 1. 1924 Z IIII WITNESS:

5 Sheets-Sheet' 5 flak 015072.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patent d Se atter lll.

ill!!! IDARLZNGTON c. .we'rson, or SCAMMON, KANSAS, nssrenon or one-HAL]? 'ro crims- TIA'N U. BENDER, or SCAMMON, KANSAS.

mnnnY-eo-nounn. 7

Application filed November 1, 1924. Serial No. 747,280.

This invention relates to an amusement device, the general object of the invention being to provide a plurality of cars with means for causing the cars to travel in'a circular pathand at the same time to move back and forth in a radial path so as to give the occupants the effect of traveling in a zig-Zag path. c

Another object of the invention is to so arrange'the parts that the device can be controlled by a single operator and" with means whereby the operator can raise and lower a cover on eachcar.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention resides in the improvement ,as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the device.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sec-y tional view and showing one car.

l igure 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the means for mounting the guidpulleys for the top operating cables. Figure 4 is a sectional View through one of the car engaging rollers. V I

gure 5 is a sectional view through one he cars and its operating means.

or t

. Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view'with a car removed and showing the arrangement bracize'tto force the car sldewise in one of part" Figure top operating means.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the hub and portions of the sweeps.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through the central supporting post and the hub.

Figure 10 is a detail view of the drive means for the device.

Figure 11 is a view of the brake mechanism for the motor.

V Figure 12 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the track.

in these views 1 indicates the central supporting post which is provided with the base 2 and which is of tubular construction.

under the car.

- Acollar 3 is fastened to the post and carries a race for the balls 1 which are engaged by a race formed on the under face of the hub member 5. This hub member is provlded with the depending ears 6 which are ar-.

ranged in pairs around its peripheryand the radiating sweeps 7 are pivoted to these ears so that the sweeps have a limited move- 7 is adetail View of a part of the ment in a vertical plane. An annular frame 8 is fastened to the outer ends of the sweeps and the sweeps are connected together by the braces 9 which have slots 10 therein for re-. ceiving thebolt-s 11 which fasten them to the sweeps so-that' these braces permit the sweeps to move in a vertical plane. The frame 8 carries a plurality of pairs of sup porting bars 12, each pair supporting a car 13, each car having brackets 14 on its bot tom which are formed with openings 15 *ough which the bars 12 pass'so that the c car and a wheel 'is fastenedto each shaft and an'annular track 21 placed upon the ground'under the frame'so that the outer portion of the device is supported from this track. Each shaft 19 is connected by" the gears 22 with a shaft journaled in the frame 8 under each car anda cam disk 2% has its hub 25 fastened to the shaft 19. This disk engages achannel-shaped bracket 26 on the bottom of'each car so that as the disic rotates it will engage first one flange of'the rection and then it will engage the other flange to move the car in another direction. Thus the cars will be reciprocated sidewise andin a radial direction as the entire device is being rotated around the central post.

The device is rotated through means of the cable 27 which is wrapped around a drum 28 and passes around the friction blocks 29 on the outer ends of the sweeps so that as the drum is rotated the frictional engagement of the cable with the blocks will cause the entire device to rotate around the post with the wheels 20 engaging the track so thatthe device is supported at its center and its periphery and the movement of these wheels will be communicated to the cars to reciprocate the same. Each block 29 is provided with a groove 30 in its outer edge for receiving the cable and a strip 31 of metal extends beyond the grooved part and forms a seat for a part of the cable.

.The', drum is arranged on a vertical stub carrying a pulley which is engaged by a belt 36 which also engages a pulley on the shaft of a motor The motor is provided with a brake 58 and the pulley is connected with the motor shaft by a clutch which is operated by a bell crank 39 and both the bell crank and the brake are adapted to be actuated from a point adjacent the post 1 by the rods 40 which are rotatably arranged in the post and which have handles 42 at their upper ends and the lower ends are connected with the bell crank and brake by the connections 48, Thus a single operator can manipulate the clutch to control the drive of the device from the motor and to brake the motor.

1 also provide a movabletop 44 for each car or carriage, the top being attached to a shaft 45 which has the pulleys 46 at its ends. A shaft 47 is journaled in the frame 8 adjacent each carriage and each shaft has a sleeve 49 keyed thereto so that the sleeve can slide on the shaft. A pair of pulleys 50 are fastened to each sleeve and these pulleys are belted to the pulleys 46 by the belts 51. Thus when the shaft 47 is rotated the shaft 45 will also be rotated so that the top will be moved to closed position or to open position according to the direction of movement of the shaft. By having the pulleys 50 mounted on a sleeve which is slidable on the shaft 47, the pulleys can move with the car. This will prevent the top operating means from interfering with the reciprocation of the cars. The tops are operated simultaneously by the operator at the central station through means of the drum 52 fastened to the lower end of a shaft 53 rotatably mounted in the hub and having a handle 54 at its upper end, the cable 55 which is wrapped around the drum 52 and after passing around the guide pulleys 56 is fastened to the arms 5'? which are connected with the ends'of the shafts 47. Thus by turning the drum 52 in one direction the cables attached to the arms 57 will rock the shafts 47 to open the tops and by turning the drum in an opposite direction the shafts will be rocked to close the tops.

The track comprises a base 58 and the metal st'rips59 fastened to the base and the base is connected with the base 2 of the central post by the cables 60 which are pro vided with the turn buckles 61. The track is formed in sections so that it can be laid on uneven ground;

From the foregoing it will be seen that the occupants of the cars will move in a Zig-zag circular path as the cars will be reciprocated sidewise and radially as they are being moved in a circular path. By having the sweeps hinged to the hub and movably attached to the braces the device can be erect ed on uneven ground as well as on level ground, as the parts will conform themselves to the conformation of the surface on which they are placed;

\Vhat I claim is An amusement device including a frame, radial tracks carried by the frame, cars slidably mounted on said tracks, means for imparting sliding movement to said cars, a shaft having its ends journaled on the frame, spaced pulleys carried by the shafts, movable tops for said cars, means movably connecting the pulleys with said tops and means whereby to impart movement to the shaft for actuating said tops relative to the cars.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DARLINGTON C; WATSQN. 

